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Legal document

Archaeological coins and historical heritage

Rules for coins with historical value or archaeological origin under the UNESCO 1970 Convention, Spanish Law 16/1985 and applicable US law.

Updated: 2026-06-01

⚠️ Informational template. This document is a preliminary version pending review by counsel in each applicable jurisdiction (US + EU/Spain). It does not constitute binding legal advice.

Data controller and service operator:

1. Legal framework

  • UNESCO 1970 Convention on illicit import, export and transfer of cultural property.
  • Spanish Law 16/1985 on Historical Heritage.
  • Regulation (EC) 116/2009 — export of cultural goods from the EU.
  • Regulation (EU) 2019/880 — import of cultural goods into the EU.
  • Cultural Property Implementation Act (CPIA, 19 U.S.C. § 2601 et seq.) — US implementation of UNESCO 1970.
  • STOP Act of 2016 — tribal patrimony safeguarding.
  • NAGPRA (25 U.S.C. § 3001 et seq.).

2. General framework

Coins over 100 years old or of archaeological origin are subject to specific heritage rules in many countries. Spain requires export permits from the Ministry of Culture; other EU states mirror or tighten this. The US requires compliance with the CPIA and, for tribal pieces, with NAGPRA and the STOP Act.

3. Required documentation

  • Invoice or proof of legitimate purchase.
  • Export permit where applicable (Law 16/1985, Reg. EC 116/2009).
  • Provenance / collecting history when available — pre-1970 chain of title is the UNESCO benchmark.
  • Signed seller declaration on legality.

4. Jurisdiction-specific restrictions

For users in Spain and the EU

  • Departure from Spanish territory requires administrative authorization (Law 16/1985).
  • Departure from EU customs territory requires a license under Regulation (EC) 116/2009.
  • Import into the EU of cultural goods >250 years old of extra-EU origin: declaration or license under Regulation (EU) 2019/880 (rolling out).

For users in the United States

  • Application of the CPIA and bilateral MOUs with source countries.
  • Indigenous tribal patrimony: prohibition under NAGPRA and STOP Act.
  • Coordination with U.S. Customs and Border Protection and HSI Cultural Property.

5. Enhanced verification

These items mandatorily go through:

  • Human moderator review.
  • Physical verification at GSG when over the configured threshold.
  • PDF report with weight/diameter/photo-radiography data.
  • Check against public databases (Interpol Stolen Works of Art, ICOM Red Lists).

6. Suspected illicit provenance

Items with suspected illicit provenance are withdrawn and, where applicable, reported to the competent authorities (Guardia Civil — Heritage Brigade in Spain, HSI in the US, customs in each country).

7. Governing law

For EU/Spanish users, national law of the departure or destination country. For US users, federal + state law and applicable MOUs. Last updated: 2026-06-01.